The Cabinet met in closed session today to discuss the worsening situation in Lebanon where fierce fighting continues in the Shouf mountains and near Beirut between Syrian-supported Druze militias and the Christian Phalangist, backed by the Lebanese army and its small air force.
Lebanese army aircraft again bombed what were described as Druze and Palestinian positions in the Shouf area and Beirut Radio claimed that five Syria and Druze artillery batteries were destroyed, Syrian artillery was reported to have extended the fighting by shelling areas north of Beirut where the Lebanese air force has been operating from a temporary airfield.
The Cabinet convened as a ministerial defense committee, meaning that its deliberations are classified and the possibility of “leaks” to the media reduced. Deputy Premier David Levy presided at the request of Menachem Begin who remains confined to his home with a skin ailment and what was described as general weakness.
Begin formally resigned as Premier last thursday but continues to serve as head of the care-taker government. Officials stressed today that Begin retains all of the powers of his office except chairing Cabinet sessions which he has delegated to Levy, apparantly for as long as the care-taker regime continues.
SHARON HAD URGED CLOSED DISCUSSION
Today’s meeting followed repeated urgings by former Defense Minister Ariel Sharon for a closed discussion of events in Lebanon, Defense Minister Moshe Arens is understood to have briefed the ministers in detail on the fighting in Lebanon and the unsuccessful efforts, largely by the U.S. to negotiate a cease-fire between the warring factions.
It was not known whether Sharon, a Minister Without-Portfolio, repeated his criticism of the withdrawal of the Israel Defense Force from the Shouf mountains two weeks ago, The latest round of warfare in Lebanon broke out on the heels of the Israeli redeployment to safer lines.
Meanwhile, an Israeli Druze leader, Deide Atche, today accused “the propaganda machine of the Phalangists” of trying to draw Israel into the battle by claiming “that there are Palestinians fighting alongside the Druze in the Shouf mountains.
” I really do not believe that, ” Atche said on an Israel Radio interview. However, if it were to be proven, I think our position in Israel as Druze would be reconsidered toward the Druze community in Lebanon, “he added.
He disclosed that the Israeli Druze “recently asked an official Druze delegation to come to us From the Shouf mountains to prove to Israel that there are no Palestinians or Syrian fighters alongside the Druze community, Otherwise, we told them, our situation in Israel would be confused as loyal citizens of Israel and members of this society and inhabitants of this country, and it might contradict and conflict with our solidarity with you.”
DUTCH TO WITHDRAW FROM UNIFIL
In another development, the 500-member Dutch contingent of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) will be withdrawn shortly and will not be replaced, The Netherlands government had announced several months ago that it intends to pull its troops out of UNIFIL because its role there is unclear.
Dutch troops had been part of UNIFIL ever since the UN force was sent to Lebanon following Israel’s invasion of south Lebanon in 1978 in what was known as the Litani campaign. Their departure will leave UNIFIL’s strength at about 5,000 men supplied by several countries. But the UNIFIL mandate, extended periodically by the UN Security Council, is itself unclear under the present circumstances.
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